REVEALED: Fellaini 'sacrificed' £4m loyalty bonus to save United move from collapse

Marouane Fellaini spared David Moyes the embarrassment of ending the transfer window without a new signing at Manchester United by sacrificing £4 million in bonuses to seal his £27.5 million move from Everton.

Everton’s refusal to sell Baines and Real Madrid’s failure to sign off a season-long loan deal for Coentrao, because of the collapse of their move for Granada full-back Guilherme Siqueira, had denied Moyes a new left-back as cover for Patrice Evra.

With Everton demanding £27.5million and Moyes unprepared to offer beyond the £23.5million escape clause in Fellaini’s contract, which expired on July 31 but was due to be reactivated on Jan 1, the 25-year-old broke the deadlock by waiving £4million in loyalty bonuses to get the deal done in the final hours of the transfer window.

By submitting a transfer request shortly before 8pm, Fellaini ensured Everton would not be forced to pay the player £4million in loyalty bonuses, enabling the two clubs to agree a deal worth £27.5million to the selling club.

It also meant United would pay the £23.5million figure regarded by Moyes as the limit of his valuation of a player he signed for Everton for £15million from Standard Liège in 2008.

The chaotic manner of United’s transfer dealings has prompted criticism of Moyes and chief executive Ed Woodward, with the two failing to land any of the club’s priority targets this summer.*